Key operated electric switch



Oct. 7, 1952 w, 5 BROWN 2,613,288

KEY OPERATED ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed March 20, 1951 VE/V Tae WILL lrY/VZflEOW/V Y JUMMYQJL- ILL/S a rraezv; Y5

Patented Oct. 7, 1 952 KEY'Ui ERA'I EIi ELEGTRIG SWI IZUHI 7 William. EBrown Andersqn, Ind. assignor. to General/Motors- Corporation Detroit',Mich., a;'-

corporat'io'n of "Delaware Airplicati'cnzMar'climm 1951,;sSeria1lNbU-21655811 zcraims; (01. 266-452:

Thiseinvention relates tm key operated: electric; switches; for; use:on-zmotor': vehicles and? more particularly to: apluralityiofiswitches-for controllingetheignition starter; and: other;e1ectrica1circuits; ofathe: motor vehicle.-

Anf. obj set of:- the presentinventionnis vt0'- provide a=key=operated:electrici'iswitch havingf a plurality; of. controkmembers inwhich aa-key is used to; turnalll of: the controlv members; simultaneously in one direction to. complete: the ignition circuitlandtwhenthe-:key iskpushedrin longitudi nallyastarterlcontrol switch is?actuatedto com-- plet'ethe: starter circuit the said istarter I motorcontrol switchbeing; automatically returned toits, non contactlngaposition: as soon'aszthei oper atingaforce istreleasedw The:construction and: arrangement of thesta tionarycontacts and a=pair of--movable contactorsc 0118:;f which drives; the. other, are such that whenliothicontactors are .rotatedhin one" direction by almanually.operatedllliey to tl'ie limit of its movement .in saidfonedirectionofrotation, the ignition circuit of'the motorvehicllisrcl'osed; andtfiekey is pushedi'ihwardl'yf one ofi'tfie. contactorst is: movedlongitudinally a predeternfii'i'ifeddistancethe sterter circuitofthemotor vehicle i's'"c1osed,i and as soon a's'iitiie' pushing?- forcedsreleased 'the' Ioneitudinail' movable con tectonic returned? to apositiodwitn respect: to the stationary cont-acts wherein the startingcircuit isbroken' whilethei'znition'switclrremains" closed,themova'ble""contactors'remaininginthose" positibns until they arerotated therefrom" byturning' of the Hey-m the o p'osite d-irection-sFfirther objects-andiadvantages of the present invention wi ll beapparent f-rom the following de scription}referencebeirrghad to theac'company ing 'd rawings wherein" a preferred emhodiment ofthe'l'present invention isicl'ear ly 'showmu the drawings! I Fig; -1 is;a side v1ew of "the-1ook and switchstructure embodyingtthepresentinvention;

Figsazand 3 are front =and rear-"views; re'spe'c'-- tively, of thelockand switch structure, and 1ook ing 'imthedirection or: arrows z and 3-i-respectively- Y Fi'g m 4 is e) sectionalview 'ta-ii'en 'oni line 4 4'of Figs 2; I i

The fcombine'd" ckl ahd switch ei'ements 'of tHe device' iIIuStrat'ewherein are enclosedwithin a housingr;it):- formeds'iby a dic castine'operationi The housing has a cylindrical front portioni fl 1- and:anqenlarged cylindrical-rear portionfil The L forward-end of the-frontportion-21 is provided with a reduced portion 2-4 having. externalthreads. The reduced. portion 24 provides ashoulder which is: adaptedto: abut the marginal wall of an opening inasupportordashboard of an:automotive vehicle, notshovvn; The reduced portion is provided withaelugt whichregisters with: a notch inthe opening ofthesupport toprevent 1 the: housing from? turning: with respect to the supportsThe:threaded portion of thefront portion Iisradapted to extend throughthe' opening the support J and receives a. circular member;

not shown, whichis screw' threaded on the threads whichccover 1tlieendsurfaceof the front p'orti'on 24 an'd tor: securing the. casing to I thesupport.

Y Since the housin'g is-fornied bar a die i casting operation the" rearenlarged portion 22 is counterbored 'to provide anannular 3 flange 3 02a shoulder 31 and a bore32 having 'loottom"wall 33 provided with aplurality -of"raised-' retaininghossesH arranged-'in arcireu-lar r'owonthe -w'a1l33.

The'front portiori' zl'is formedwith a main b0r"'35 which iscouhterb'oredat' the front end to forma"recess" B'Ii an'd' ashOuId'erSIand at the" rearend'to'forma'bore stand'ashoulder'se withthe"bore' communicatin'gWiththe' bore 32"; The

open end of theportion" 2 I is' provided with a notcli trier admitting.li'g'ht' raysto the recess 36: Theb'ore' 357i's1 interrupted bye groove4|) Fig.1:9, extendingpinwardly from the shoulder 3T andl'terminating.short oI' 'the shoulder 39? A loclicylinder 45 0f thecustomarytypehavine tumlilrs which project adockin'g. bar 48'lradi'a11yl from thecylinder to engage agroove 41 formed inthe main bore The tumblersare-retractable uponthe insertion ota' properkey 48 whereuponthelockinei-bar 46 isretracted from thegroove 4? to free the cylinderfor-rotation; The cylinder is removably secured in position -w ithinthe-1;b0re35-'by& a U -shaped member 50"(Fig.-. 8) having its'armsextending: in an arc'uated slot-'51 formed on: the periphery of lockcylinder-::- The 1 member is urged outwardlyfbyr a springzfl be hindltheshoulder -39 and-therebysecures thelock:-

cylinder against withdrawal has: a reduced cylindrical: portion 56'which isadapted: torotate and slide longitudinally: within I thezbore3'8 byimoveinentioftheiockrcylinder 451' 5'! which fits into acorresponding recess formed with the cylindrical portion 56.

An apertured contact carrier 88 of insulating material is mounted on thedriven member 55 and is arranged to rotate with the latter. The member55 has flats formed on its periphery which have a sliding fit withcorresponding fiat surfaces formed in the interior of an apertureprovided by the carrier 58. The rotary movement of the carrier 68 islimited by a projection 6| formed integral with the housing 28, seeFigs. 4 and '7, which projects into a slot 62, formed on theperiphery ofthe carrier 88. The rear face of the contact carrier 68 is provided witha circular row of spaced recesses 63 to receive the bosses 34 to holdyieldingly the carrier 68 in various positions. The front face of thecarrier 60 is formed with a series of spaced pockets 64 in which projectarms 65 of a ring type bridging member 66 to drive same. The front faceof the carrier 88 has spaced pockets 6! to receive coiled springs 88.One end of each spring rests against the bottom of the respective pocket6? while the other end seats in a depression 15 of the bridging memberto urge the bridging member to the right and the carrier 60 to the leftas viewed in Fig. 4. The bridging member 66 is provided with three ofthese depressions to provide spherical contacts.

The enlarged portion of the driven member 55 is provided with twoaligned bores the inner one being smaller in diameter than the outer.The inner bore seats one end of a rod H embedded therein while the otherend projects through and beyond the bridging member 66. The rod 1| hasan annular grooveto receive a retainer 72 furnished with a radial slotto permit assembly of the retainer with the rod H. A relative weakcompression spring 13, a washer l4 and a bridging member 15 areinterposed between the retainer 72 and the bottom of the enlarged borein the driving member 55 one end of the spring 13 being seated on thebottom of the large bore and the other end seating against the washer74.

A sub-assembly of conductor plates and stationary contact terminals forclosing the open endof the enlarged portion 22 comprises a body 88 ofinsulating material having an extension 88a provided with a counterboredrecess having three different diameters to provide shoulders 8| and 82.The smaller bore receiving the end of the rod ll to guide same instraight line axial movements. The shoulder 8| forms a seat for one endof a relatively stiff coiled compression spring 83 while the other endof the spring engages the retainer 12 that accidental removal of theretainer is substantially prevented by the spring 83. Since the spring83 is under compression and has a greater biasing force than the spring13, the rod is urged to the left as viewed in Fig. 4 to hold normallythe enlarged portion of the driving member 55 against the bottom wall33.

A plurality of headed rivets are carried by the body 86 the heads ofwhich form stationary contacts 85, 86, 81, 88 and 89 see Fig. 5. Theheads of contacts 85, 86 and 81 are flush with the innor face of thebody 80 while the heads 88 and 89 extend a short distance beyond theinner face of body. The shank of the rivets extend through the body andare attached to terminal plates. Referring to Fig. 3 the stationarycontacts are connected to conducting plates in the .following manner;terminals 85 and 38 to a battery plate 90 which is common to theignition, starting, and accessory circuits; terminal 86 to ignitionplate 5|, 8! to gas or accessory plate 82, andterminal 4 89 to solenoidplate 93. The six shallow depressions 63 in the surface of the carriercooperate with the bosses 34 to hold yieldingly the carrier 60 in thevarious positions of the switch.

Before the body is assembled with the enlarged portion of the body, agasket 95 is placed on the shoulder 3|. At suitable places the flange 38is bent over against the rear face of the body 88 to hold firmly thegasket 95 and body '88 against the shoulder 3|. When the closure 88 issecured in position, the spring 83 is in a highly compressed state tohold the driven member against the bottom wall 33. The springs 68 arealso in a compressed state to urge the bridging member 66 to the rightagainst the body so that contact bosses 18 bear against the bottom wall33.

The operation of the switch is as follows: When the switch is in thelocked 01f position the bridging member 66 with its spherical contactportion 18, represented by letters A, B and C in Fig. 3, are out ofengagement with stationary contacts 85, 86 and 81 and the bridgingmember 15 is urged by spring 83 out of engagement with 7 contacts 88 and89. While in the locked position the lock casing cannot movelongitudinally to close the starter circuit as a projection I80 on lockcylinder" head a abuts the shoulder 31. When the proper key 48 isinserted in the slot' |0| provided by the cylinder 45 the locking bar 46is removed from slot 41 to free'the cylinder 45. When the key is turneda certain angular distance in a counterclockwise direction as' viewed inFig. 3, or clockwise as viewed in Fig. 9, the projection I80 registerswith slot4| and the points A, B and- C will be in positions to engagethe contacts 85, 86 and 81' associated respectively with plates 90. 9|and S2 to complete the ignition circuit. When in this particularposition the shoulder 62a of slots 62 will abut projection 6! to alignlug I88 with slot 4| thus permitting the lock cylinders if desired to bepushed in until head 45a engages the shoulder 31. When this happens thespring'13 will be compressed to hold firmly the contact 15 in engagementwith the terminals 88 and 89 to,

5 complete the starting motor circuit." With the inward movement of thecarrier 60the stifi spring 83 will be further compressed between theshoule der 8| and the retainer 12. When the pushing force is releasedtheuspring 83 will expand and automatically. return the carrier 55quickly to its normal position to separate the contact 15 from contacts88 and 89 to-open the starting motor circuit. When the key is turned inthe clockwise direction from the MT positi on Fig. 3, the

shoulder 62b will engage the lug 6| causing the bridging memberdepressed contact'portions A.

and C to engage contacts and 81 to connect the gas gageor accessorylights, in a circuit. When the lock cylinder i in this position inwardmovement of same is prevented as the projection I08 is out of registrywith groove 4|, thus the starter circuit cannotbe switched on inthisposition.

When it is required to remove the lock cylinder;

45 from the housing, it is necessary to movethe cylinder to theaccessory position of the switch, and it is merely necessary to use asuitable tool insertable in the opening53 for depressing the retainer 58inwardly to free it from the shoulder 39 to permit outward movement ofthe plug.

While the embodimentof .the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form,

it is to be understood that other forms might be i adopted. I

What is claimed is as follows:

i. A combined ignition and starter comprising, a lock and switchhousing, a lock cylinder supported for rotating and longitudinalmovement in the housing; a closure for the housing having guide passage;a driven member of insulating material coupled with the lock cylinder; apin having one end fixed to the driven member and having the other endfitting into the guide passage for guiding the driven member in astraight line; a removable abutment carried by the pin; insulatedignition terminals and a pair of insulated starter terminals carried bythe closure; a bridging member about the pin; a spring for holding thebridging member against the abutment and for maintaining the coupledrelation between the driven member and the lock cylinder; a carrier ofinsulating material driven by the driven mem her; a contact platecarried by the carrier and engageable with the ignition terminals uponrotary motion of the lock cylinder; a second spring disposed between theclosure and the abutment for resisting axial movement of the drivenmember in one direction; and provision provided by the lock cylinder andthe housing for permitting axial movement of the lock cylinder anddriven member for actuating the bridging member into engagement with thestarter terminal only when the contact plate engages the ignitionterminals.

2. A key operated switch comprising, a housing; a lock cylindersupported for rotary and axial movement within the housing and operatedbetween a locked and unlocked position; a closure for the housing havinga guide passage formed therein; a pair of insulated terminals carried bythe closure; an insulating member coupled with the lock cylinder withinhousing; a rod having one end fixed to the member and having the otherend fitting into the passage and forming a guide therefor; a detachableabutment carried by the rod; a bridging member surrounding the rod; acompression spring disposed between the bridging member and the memberfor urging the bridging member against the abutment and for maintainingthe coupled relation between the lock cylinder and the member; resilientmeans disposed between the abutment and the closure for resisting axialmovement of the member and the lock cylinder, said lock cylinder andmember being axially movable in the unlocked position against the forceof the resilient means to move the bridging member into contactengagement with the terminals,

WILLIAM E. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,517,506 Riggs Aug. 1, 19502,520,363 Heidman Aug. 29, 1950 2,5 l6,74i Hasselbaum Mar. 27, 1951

